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The application of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education in solving real-world problems is challenging. To tackle this challenge, a project-based learning approach that integrates robots with cost-effective self-made toys to problem-solving was adopted to assist rural primary school students to apply STEM skills. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the project-based learning approach which includes lecturing and hands-on activities on primary school students' STEM learning outcomes and attitudes. An experiment was conducted with 25 primary school students who voluntarily participated in a STEM summer-camp programme. Students were asked to assemble a paper house equipped with an IoT control module and LED light switches, and write and edit robot scripts to produce a robot-based storytelling narrative using the paper house they made as a context. The results show that the project-based learning approach was an effective approach for cultivating primary school students' STEM knowledge and skills as evidenced from the post-written test. The relationships between the students' STEM learning outcomes and attitudes were also confirmed by a clustering analysis. Students who had higher learning attitudes also achieved higher STEM learning outcomes; the findings are also supported by the feedback from the open-ended questionnaire items. This study suggests that integrating low-cost self-made toys and robots in project-based learning activities is an effective and practical approach to enhance primary school students' learning outcomes and learning attitudes in STEM education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We attempt to identify the 25 most-cited statistical papers, providing some brief commentary on each paper on our list. This list consists, to a great extent, of papers that are on non-parametric methods, have applications in the life sciences, or deal with the multiple comparisons problem. We also list the most-cited papers published in 1993 or later. In contrast to the overall most-cited papers, these are predominately papers on Bayesian methods and wavelets. We briefly discuss some of the issues involved in the use of citation counts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With constantly changing political landscapes affecting the ability of college students with minoritized identities of sexuality and/or gender (MIoSG; Vaccaro et al., 2015) to thrive on campus, higher educators need to understand student reported stressors to design more inclusive learning environments. Building from minority stress theory and using data from a grounded theory study with 56 collegiate STEM students with MIoSG, this paper documents stressors that students reported as contributing to diminished wellbeing. We used constant comparative grounded theory analysis to identify stressors shared by all participants, which included lack of belonging and invisibility in competitive STEM cultures as well as exclusionary interactions with STEM peers. Recommendations include the design and delivery of holistic education and support services on campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to its recognition as a 21st-century skill, computational thinking (CT) is currently being introduced into school curricula around the world. However, in-service teachers are largely unprepared for this implementation, which, in turn, makes teacher educators (TEds) important stakeholders in preparing prospective teachers to integrate CT into their classroom practices. In this regard, TEds are charged with a twofold responsibility: they must develop not only their own CT skills and digital competence but also a way of teaching these to the next generation of teachers who will facilitate future pupils’ learning. In this paper, we report on 17 TEds’ experience regarding the challenges and opportunities of integrating CT into Norway’s primary teacher education mathematics and science courses two years after CT’s introduction into Norwegian primary schools. A data-driven thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews was conducted. Our analysis suggests that it is challenging to integrate CT into existing courses. Such challenges, as well as opportunities, seem to apply at four levels: the systemic, teacher educator, student teacher, and subject levels. The results provide valuable insights for key stakeholders into the challenges and opportunities of integrating CT into teacher education, thus contributing to the body of research on professional digital competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I revisit my 1993 paper on Putnam and mathematical realism focusing on the indispensability argument and how it has fared over the years. This argument starts from the claim that mathematics is an indispensable part of science and draws the conclusion, from holistic considerations about confirmation, that the ontology of science includes abstract objects as well as the physical entities science deals with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between the human soul as a substantial form and the transcendental principle of beauty in forms. This relationship is explored through the lens of aesthetics as applied to visual forms, empirical science, and mathematics. I propose that aesthetics and the principle of beauty is intrinsic and influential to the human experience. I have considered the thought of Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, Plato, and Hans Urs Von Balthasar to form, support, and demonstrate these claims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The voice of disabled students in higher education (HE) has been widely explored in the global North but relatively little is known about the experiences of their counterparts in the global South. The paper attempts to address this lacuna by focusing on disabled students in HE in India. A part of the author's doctoral study in 2013–14 explored the lived experiences and aspirations of 29 students with a visual impairment using phenomenological methodology. Their access to courses and subsequently, career opportunities were found to be restricted by an interplay of systemic exclusion, lack of information, internalised oppression, pedagogy, and employment opportunities. While disability legislation in India focuses on widening participation in HE, the issue of access to courses for students with a visual impairment has received little attention. This paper emphasises the importance of facilitating their access to their desired courses in HE and to this end, provision of support in school. This article highlights the experiences of students with a visual impairment regarding enrolling in different courses in higher education (HE) in India. The research found that four main factors prevented many students with a visual impairment from pursuing science-and mathematics-based courses in HE. These were i) exclusion from science and mathematics in early education, ii) inadequate support systems, iii) inaccessible teaching practices, and iv) limited work opportunities. Little or no support and motivation was available for them to study these subjects. The research recommended that HE authorities must recognise the ability of students with a visual impairment to learn visual-based subjects. It also highlighted the need to provide support for learning mathematics and science to these students in school so that they can study mathematics- and science-based courses in HE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning to teach out-of-field is a challenge that many teachers worldwide face at some time in their career. Whether they are motivated to seek formal professional development as additional qualifications in this area, however, depends on many factors. Alignment between the specific professional development needs of out-of-field teachers and the planned learning experiences is essential to maximise sustained learning and applicability to teachers' classrooms. This paper reports on a government-funded program designed to support teachers teaching 'out-of-field' in science and mathematics. The initial design of the program drew on existing literature on effective teacher professional learning. Using the theoretical lens of 'boundary crossing' this paper reports on the perceived discontinuities that teachers 'brought with them' in order to understand where the potential for learning lay, and compared this to teachers' perceptions of their changed practice. Growth in teachers' confidence and relational understandings of content, pedagogy and curriculum was evident. Implications for future programs to support out-of-field teachers are provided. Teaching out of field (TOOF); Professional Learning (PL); Professional Development (PD) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether the current post-16 qualifications system in the UK is fit for purpose has long been under discussion, with many calling for a broader, more interdisciplinary approach to preparation for university. This paper examines the relationship between post-16 (A-level) qualifications and degree success for students on the University of Exeter's innovative Natural Sciences programme, with particular emphasis on whether it is possible to be successful at degree level in subjects not studied at A-level. Maths was found to be the best predictor of success in interdisciplinary science and no one science was found to be more important than the others for preparing students for the bespoke interdisciplinary first year of the degree programme. The data also demonstrates that these students can be successful in later years in subjects not studied at A-level which they would otherwise have been prohibited from studying at university through their lack of core entry requirements. We acknowledge the unique nature of the cohort under analysis and the fact they self-select for this type of programme, but discuss how the study provokes questions and debate about pre-university qualification requirements and the way we structure our school and university curricula to maximise the opportunities for the next generation of STEM graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are frequent calls in the literature for school science and mathematics departments to collaborate, largely in response to perceived overlaps between the two subjects in the context of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Yet few studies explore how such collaborations might work. This paper is unusual both in its focus on mathematics/science collaborations which have not arisen from a specific short-term intervention and in its focus on the views of practising teachers rather than policy-makers or curriculum developers. Purpose: We ask how and why collaborations get started and explore how mathematics and science departments actually work together in secondary (high) schools in England. We ask what some of the affordances and challenges are in both initiating and sustaining collaborative practice. Design and methods: Six schools were identified and visited and semi-structured interviews carried out with the 15 teachers most closely involved in collaborating, to explore their perspectives and insights. Results: The findings show that collaborations are possible, though they are challenging to sustain, and they can be approached in a number of ways. Mathematics/science collaboration can be a key site of professional learning for teachers, particularly about the 'other' curriculum. Informal conversations across departments were highly valued but tended to be between those with a well-established pre-existing relationship. While physical structures can promote collaboration, it needs strong support from senior leadership teams to both begin and continue. Conclusion: Contrary to the commonly espoused view that there are many overlaps between mathematics and science in school, it can be a significant challenge for teachers to find them. Collaboration is neither straightforward to begin nor to sustain. Researchers and policy-makers should thus be cautious about recommending collaboration as straightforward for science and mathematics teachers to adopt. These conclusions provide a major challenge to simplistic advocacy of STEM in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following sustained discussion regarding the relationship between advanced mathematics and science learning in England, the government has pursued a reform agenda in which mathematics is embedded in national, high stakes A-level science qualifications and their assessments for 18-year-olds. For example, A-level Chemistry must incorporate the assessment of relevant mathematics for at least 20% of the qualification. Other sciences have different mandated percentages. This embedding policy is running in parallel with an adding policy that is encouraging all young people to include the study of mathematics to 18. In this paper, we present a detailed scrutiny of the published sample assessment materials in the new A-level Physics, Chemistry and Biology qualifications in order to consider what the impact of this policy move might be for the teaching and learning of mathematics, its applications in upper secondary school advanced science studies and the implications in the transition to mathematically-demanding undergraduate studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of mathematics underwent a major transformation in the seventeenth century due to new procedures and concepts that also showed their utility for military architecture. The circulation of this knowledge can be found in several works. In this paper, we focus on an early work on Portuguese fortifications, Methodo Lusitanico de Desenhar as Fortificaçoens das Praças Regulares & Irregulares (Lusitanic Method of Drawing Fortifications of Regular and Irregular Military Posts), published posthumously in 1680, the author of which was the leading Portuguese Chief Cosmographer and Chief Engineer, Luis Serrão Pimentel (1613-1679). Methodo Lusitanico was a novel work containing the author's own theoretical explorations of the art and science of fortification in Portugal arising from the theoretical investigations and military education sponsored by the Portuguese Crown. The aim of our contribution is to show the European influences on Portuguese science in the seventeenth century through the analysis of an early work on modern fortifications written in the Portuguese language and by a Portuguese scholar. As far as the contents of the book are concerned, we show that Serrão Pimentel analyzes and reviews the published methods of fortification, and modifies them by introducing new procedures to improve the use of mathematics in the teaching of engineers. Our analysis also shows that Serrão Pimentel was a leading mathematician and a skillful teacher who had read the main mathematical works published at his time, such as Stevin's decimal arithmetic, and used them in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased efforts to diversify science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States have drastically increased the number of studies offering insight into the experiences of women in STEM programs in higher education. This paper presents a thematic review of the literature regarding their status from 2007 to 2017 including journals, trade magazines, theses, and dissertations. It focuses on areas of recruitment, retention, barriers, and faculty issues. Stereotypes, biases, campus culture, classroom experiences, identity, and sense of belonging are also explored. The author additionally identifies gaps and suggests related areas for new research as well as implications for librarians. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The emergence of a participatory culture, brought about mainly by the use of Web2.0 technology, is challenging us to reconsider aspects of teaching and learning. Adapting the learning-as-digital-game-building approach, this paper explores how new educational practices can help students build skills for the 21st century. Purpose: This paper examines elementary students' learning experiences through digital game building and playing. The following research questions guided the study: (1) What emotions do students experience during the process of building digital games for others to use?; (2) What traits do students display when they learn through digital game-building?; and (3) What do students learn from the digital game-building experience? Sample: The participants were 21 elementary students (19 boys and two girls), aged between seven and 11, who were on a summer camp at a university in Canada. Design and methods: This small-scale study made use of enactivism (Li, Clark, and Winchester, Instructional design and technology grounded in enactivism: A paradigm shift?, British Journal of Educational Technology 41, no. 3: 403-419, 2010), a new theoretical framework, as a basis for analysing the students' experiences and responses as they created computer games to teach others the concept of Issac Newton's Three Laws of Motion. Quantitative and qualitative data collected included student and parent surveys, teacher and student interviews, field observations and the digital games created by the students. Data were subjected to quantitative and thematic analyses. Results: The results indicated that only a small minority of students reported never feeling the positive emotions excited/happy or smart/proud during the process of building digital games. In addition, analysis suggested that creativity, engagement and new identity were the three salient traits displayed by the students when learning by digital game-building. There was also evidence that students increased their understanding of the subject matter in question (mathematics, science and technology) and enhanced their general problem-solving abilities through the process. Conclusions: This small-scale study suggests that student engagement in the game-building experience can enhance not just the learning of the game design process but also subject matter and generic skills. Thus, the learning-as-building approach can empower students to 'take over the technology' and become creators rather than passive consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite societal expectations that graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines integrate broader impacts into their professional activities, few of them actually receive any formal training in this area. This paper describes a graduate seminar entitled “Broader Impacts of Natural Sciences on Society” taught at the University of Florida in 2006 and 2008. In addition to course goals, recruitment, expectations, format, content, and outcomes, this paper describes challenges and recommendations for others who might want to teach a similar course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we examine some of the mathematical properties of Everett's graph theoretic blocking procedures. In particular we discuss how k-plexes are blocked by Everett's algorithm. We also give a mathematical definition and algorithm f or finding a class of actors identified as important in Everett's paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Australian context, children living in disadvantaged circumstances, whose second language is English, are one of the groups at risk of failing in mathematics. This paper explores the impact purposely developed learning activities (Representations, Oral Language and Engagement in Mathematics Learning activities) have on pupils' mathematics outcomes in the first three years of formal schooling (Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2). The participating group (n = 461) comprised 328 English language learners and 133 mainstream pupils. To ascertain the impact of the learning experience, pre- and post-tests were conducted at the commencement and completion of each school year. The results indicate that all of the children significantly improved, with English as a second language pupils showing the greatest gains, and achieving norm-referenced expectations for their age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces ‘teachers’ collaboration’ as an approach to teachers’ professional development geared at enhancing science and mathematics teaching in Tanzania secondary schools. Teachers’ professional development through teachers’ collaboration has been reported to be effective for the improvement of schools’ performance and students’ learning outcomes in all curriculum subjects. In this study, various researches and theoretical papers about teachers’ collaboration were gathered and sorted out according to the type of collaboration adopted in each. From these studies, four main forms of teachers’ collaboration for professional development were identified. These forms of collaboration include; community of practice, lesson study group, professional learning communities and teacher design teams. Reviewed literatures have shown that the four collaboration approaches are effective for teachers’ improvement of their teaching practices which in turn had impact on students’ learning outcomes. Studies from around the world have shown that, teachers’ collaboration has impact on teachers’ competencies, confidence and attitude towards science and mathematics teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is general agreement in Australia and beyond that quantitative skills (QS) in science, the ability to use mathematics and statistics in context, are important for science. QS in the life sciences are becoming ever more important as these sciences become more quantitative. Consequently, undergraduates studying the life sciences require better QS than at any time in the past. Ways in which mathematics and science academics are working together to build the QS of their undergraduate science students, together with the mathematics and statistics needed or desired in a science degree, are reported on in this paper. The emphasis is on the life sciences. Forty-eight academics from eleven Australian and two USA universities were interviewed about QS in science. Information is presented on: what QS academics want in their undergraduate science students; who is teaching QS; how mathematics and science departments work together to build QS in science and implications for building the QS of science students. This information leads to suggestions for improvement in QS within a science curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper investigates enrolment, attainment and drop-out rates for two different English pre-university advanced mathematics, AS-level, courses, a 'traditional' and an innovative 'Use of Mathematics' pre-university course. Very different student profiles were found for those enrolled on each course, and a model of attainment at the pre-university level showed a relatively complex relationship with prior achievement at the end of compulsory schooling. Although those pupils who had relatively high prior achievement tended also to achieve relatively highly on the pre-university courses, this relationship was not evident for lower scores. Those pupils with 'mid-range' prior attainment tended to make the smallest gains. Taking prior attainment into account, the difference in attainment outcomes between the two courses is small. However, these courses do differ with respect to the number of students retained, with the 'Use of Mathematics' course retaining a significantly higher proportion of the students. Contextual factors are discussed, suggesting implications for policy and practice in mathematics education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyberinfrastucture is a broad informational network that entails connections to real-time data sensors as well as tools that permit visualization and other forms of analysis, and that facilitates access to vast scientific databases. This multifaceted network, already a major boon to scientific discovery, now shows exceptional promise in advancing educational goals, especially in fostering deep and authentic understanding in science and scientific practice. In this paper, we outline the key features of the cyberinfrastructure that make it far more than the latest technological innovation. In particular, we identify six cognitive affordances for education that are unique to the cyberinfrastructure and that, in combination, set it apart from its predecessors: (a) immediate original data, (b) distributed expert networks, (c) analytical and visualization tools, (d) instantaneous retrieval of source documents, (e) forums for public discourse, and (f) opportunities for metacognitive structuring of ill-defined problems. We conclude by drawing implications for students' engagement in science, building a new cadre of science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) professionals, and preparing of a scientifically literate citizenry for a world in which many key social issues are comprehended only through a scientific lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nurtured as a teacher and mentored as a mathematics education researcher, the reflective voice of a teacher-researcher-educator is portrayed in this paper. While drawing upon experience of creating teaching-learning environments, the author outlines the growth of praxis within her practice. She then outlines her coming upon narrative as a deployable unit of analysis with which to grasp teaching-learning practice. With narrative inquiry as strategy, she finally outlines examples of educational action research she is able to conduct. She argues in favour of empowering the praxis of teachers, recognising their language of practice and urges us to listen to their individual voice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explanations are considered to be key aids to understanding the study of mathematics, science, and other complex disciplines. This paper discusses the role of students' explanations in making sense of data and learning to reason informally about statistical inference. We closely follow students' explanations in which they utilize their experiences and knowledge of the context, statistical tools, and ideas to support their emerging informal inferential reasoning (IIR). This case study focuses on two independent inquiry episodes of sixth-grade students (age 12) within an unstructured, inquiry-based, technology-rich learning environment that was designed to promote students' IIR. We discuss research and practical issues related to the role of explanations and context in developing students' IIR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent graduates of degrees in the mathematical sciences were interviewed in depth about their work and the skills required to perform those tasks. One common undertaking could be described as teaching: demonstrating to colleagues, training their assistants or explaining mathematics to their managers. The paper describes how this understanding of teaching in the workplace can inform curriculum design at university level to better prepare graduates for work. Examples of assessment activities that lecturers can adapt for use in their classes in the mathematical sciences are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the problem of approximating an integrable function by piecewise linear functions that keep the integral and positivity of the original function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthodox semigroups have been studied by many authors, in particular by Hall, Yamada and Petrich. In this paper, we give the standard representation of orthodox semigroups and investigate various e-varieties of orthodox semigroups which are determined by the standard representations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses key issues concerning the idea of a Brunnian link, which was introduced by Hermann Brunn in an 1892 paper, "Uber Verkettung." Mathematical expression of a Brunnian link; Applications in textile technology; Implications on mathematics.

Given a numerical semigroup S. let M(S) = S\{0} and (IM(S) - IM(S)) - {x ϵ No : x · IM(S) ⊆ IM(S)}. Define associated numerical semigroups B(S) := (M(S) - M(S)) and L(S) := Ut=i∞ (IM(S) - IM(S)). Set B0(S) - S, and for i ≥ 1, define Bi(S) :- B(Bi-1 (S). Similarly, set L0(S) - S, and for i ≤ 1, define Li(S) :- L(Li-1(S)). These constructions define two finite ascending chains of numerical semigroups S = B0(S) ⊆ B1(S) ⊆ … ⊆ BβS(S) - N0 and S - L0(S) ⊆ L1(S) ⊆ … ⊆ Lλ(S) = N0. It has been shown that not all numerical semigroups S have the property that Bi(S) ⊆ Li(S) for all i ≥ 0. In this paper, we prove that if S is a numerical semigroup with a set of generators that from a generalized arithmetic sequence, then Bi(S) ⊆ Li(S) for all i ≥ 0. Moreover, we see that this containment is not necessarily satisfied if a set of generators of S form an almost arithmetic sequence. In addition, we characterize numerical semigroups generated by generalized arithmetic sequences that satisfy other semigroup properties, such as symmetric, pseudo-symmetric, and Arf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let (S, ≤) be a strictly totally ordered monoid and R a domain. It is shown in this paper that [[RS,≤]], the ring of generalized power series with coefficients in R and exponents in S. satisfies the ascending chain condition for principal ideals if and only if the ring R and the monoid S satisfy the ascending chain condition for principal ideals of R, and of S, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latent regression models are powerful tools for studying the relation between a latent outcome variable and observed covariates. In this paper goodness of fit tests for latent regression models based on loglinear Rasch models are proposed. The properties of the tests are discussed using a simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applications in engineering, science and technology within undergraduate programmes can be difficult for students to understand. In this paper, new results are presented which go some way to demonstrate and explain the problems faced by students in linking mathematical models to real-world applications. The study is based on student responses to multiple-choice questionnaires on mathematical modelling problems, student reflective questionnaires and subsequent interviews. The processes used by students to solve such problems are classified and links between these process levels, credit and seven other behavioural descriptors are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the third special Applications section which is published in Journal of the American Statistical Association. The first, on survey research methods, appeared in June 1986 and the second, on statistical graphics, appeared in June 1987. In March 1987 the coordinating and applications editor appointed me as the editor for a special section on computational statistics. The special section was announced in "Amstat News" in June 1987, and it was advertised by word of mouth, letters to leading research institutions, and letters to several hundred leading researchers. Potential authors were invited to submit an extended abstract of their work before the deadline of September 15, 1987. It is tempting to provide a breakdown of the 97 abstracts into categories, but a preliminary attempt created far too many categories because of the diversity of topics. But all of the manuscripts clearly fell into the broad definition. The editorial board favored statistical papers using computing over computational papers using statistics.